This invention relates generally to provision and use of a lightweight, high performance, glass fiber blanket employed in aircraft and marine applications to provide thermal and acoustical insulation; and more particularly concerns an improved method of producing that blanket.
For many years aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have employed a light weight, high performance, and special fiberglass for thermal and acoustical insulation. This insulation is typically 1 inch, 0.42 pounds per cubic foot (pcf); 1 inch, 0.60 pcf; and ⅜ inch, 1.5 pcf.
The insulation is sold to the OEMs or their fabricators.
Typically, three layers of 1 inch material are stacked together and encapsulated in a light weight Mylar film. The finished blanket, approximately 3 inches thick, is installed in the aircraft by a series of plastic pins that penetrate the insulation and are then fastened to the aircraft interior. Caps and washers are placed over the pins to secure the aircraft blanket in place. During this process, the insulation is often compressed. Because the 3 inch blanket is only 0.42 pcf, it is relatively limp and requires several pins for sidewall and overhead installations to prevent sagging.
There is need for an improved process and product which provides the following advantages:                1. The fabricator only needs to handle one layer of material instead of multiple layers.        2. Shipping and storage of material requires less space.        3. A density product ia more rigid and could be fully or partially friction fitted. This requires fewer pins for application which, in turn, reduces installed weight per square foot. This is the OEMs primary objective.        4. Requires less space in the interior of the aircraft for insulation which is very critical in smaller regional aircraft.        